National Defence Academy (India)
राष्ट्रीय रक्षा अकादमी | |
National Defence Academy | |
| Motto | सेवा परमो धर्मः |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Service Before Self. |
| Type | Defence Service training institute |
| Established | 7 December 1949 |
Academic affiliations | Jawaharlal Nehru University |
| Principal | Om Prakash Shukla |
| Commandant | Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, AVSM, NM |
| Location | Khadakwasla, Pune , Maharashtra , India 18°25′20″N 73°45′55″E / 18.42222°N 73.76528°E |
| Campus | Suburban, 7,015 acres (28.39 km2) |
| Deputy Commandant | Air Vice Marshal Sartaj Bedi, VM, VSM |
| Principal Director Training | Commodore Milind Mohan Mokashi, SC |
| Colors | Maroon |
| Affiliations | Ministry of Defence |
| Website | nda.nic.in |
The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces. Here, cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force train together before they go on to their respective service academies for further pre-commission training. The NDA is located in Khadakwasla, Pune, Maharashtra. It is the first tri-service academy in the world.
The alumni of NDA include 3 Param Vir Chakra recipients and 11 Ashoka Chakra recipients. NDA has also produced 32 service chiefs of staff to date. When Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane got promoted to the Chief of Staff of the Army (COAS) in 2019, chiefs of all staffs, i.e. the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force were all NDA alumni from the same 61st course. The 145th course graduated on 30 November 2023, consisting of 188 Army cadets, 38 Naval cadets, 37 Air Force cadets, and 20 cadets from friendly foreign countries. The Supreme Court of India passed an order in August 2021 that allowed female candidates to appear for the all upcoming NDA entrance examination.